Posted on January 31, 2009Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off on Key Advice For Social Newbies

If someone were to start this year using social media in a serious way, what would they start with? What would they think about all of the choices, all of the advice of “must” do activities, and the ever-growing list of supposedly important online personalities to follow?

Hopefully they’d quickly learn about the concept of the social media echo chamber, and keep a foot outside of the door, if not more.

If not, they would be lost in the advice to what may amount to 4 hours a day of important, serious reputation building via Twitter, along with a few hours of interaction on Digg, Mixx, Delicious, and StumbleUpon, remembering to read important blogs, subscribe to podcasts, when not actually creating content via blogging, video, and audio. And how does someone whose primary work is in, say, driving a vehicle all day… how do they do all of this fun social media stuff on the side?

So for all of the social newbies arriving this year: don’t sweat it.

Play around, have fun, find “shiny objects” on the web to try & use, and buy gadgets & toys if you want. Then determine if you are a full-timer, a part-timer, or a hobbyist. For the first two types, make a plan (as best you can) and execute it. The plan should have the basics of a mission statement (goals), a strategy, actions (steps you will take), and timeframes if not actual deadlines. For the social media hobbyist, have fun, and make sure that you aren’t taking up this hobby at the expense of some other goal, such as writing a book, learning a new language, climbing Mt. Everest, or spending more time with family & friends.